Fukushima Daiichi NPS Prompt Report 2015

International agency completes detailed review of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant,notes exemplary operational safety practices to be shared with the nuclear industry globally

TOKYO,July 13,2015--The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a team of nuclear safety experts from around the world completed an in-depth review of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station from June 29th to July 13th,and members of the review team noted the progress that has been made towards strengthening its protections against accidents and natural disasters.

TEPCO has been striving to meet the new regulatory requirements for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa,the world's largest nuclear power plant,which has been idled- though undamaged -since all the country's nuclear plants were shut down following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

TEPCO welcomed the review,and fully opened the facility to the inspection team,much as it had done earlier this year at Fukushima Daiichi,where an IAEA inspection produced a strongly positive report.

"We've had excellent cooperation from the TEPCO staff and the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa persons in particular," team leader Peter Tarren told at a press briefing,concluding the review. "We would like to take both of those aspects (improvements and good practices) back to the rest of the nuclear industry as learning opportunities."

"We've seen very strong commitment to both the nuclear safety and the continuing improvements,not just from the people at the power station but also from the corporate organization right from the top. And our experiences say that's very important in achieving a safe organization."

The Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) -- whose missions aim to improve operational safety by objectively assessing performance using the IAEA's Safety Standards -- summarized a draft of their suggestions and acknowledged Kashiwazaki-Kariwa's good practices.

Summary of Review

The OSART team identified a number of good practices at the plant that will be shared with the nuclear industry globally,including:

· Following the March 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi NPP,the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station has implemented comprehensive and robust defense measures against severe accidents,including added tsunami and flood protection as well as enhanced site and mobile back-up electrical power supplies,pumps and heat exchangers,
· The plant carries out frequent drills in difficult conditions to ensure that all staff are well-prepared to deal with emergencies,and· The plant has established thorough control of all combustible materials to minimize the fire risk.

The team made a number of proposals for improvements to operational safety at the plant,including:

· Systems that gather operating experience should be integrated,and the information collected through them should be used more proactively to enable the plant to exchange lessons with the rest of the nuclear industry,
· Accident management guidance should cover all plant conditions,including potential events involving the spent fuel pools,and
· The station's emergency plans should be fully integrated and documented in a way that is clear and easy to use.

TEPCO considers the team's recommendations an important step toward reinforcing safety of the facility and looks forward to welcoming and collaborating with the international community.

Takafumi Anegawa,the director and the managing executive officer of TEPCO said: "It was a great opportunity to have a review by the IAEA and a team of nuclear safety experts from around the world. Their visit provided us useful and constructive advices and additional suggestions."

A formal report is expected to be delivered from the IAEA to Japan's Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry within three months. The report will also be shared with TEPCO and is expected to be posted on TEPCO's website.

Tokyo Electric Power Company,Inc. (TEPCO) is Japan's largest power company,supplying energy to the greater Kanto area,including Japan's two most populous cities,Tokyo and Yokohama. Its 34,000 employees are committed to providing safe,reliable power to its 29.0 million customers,diversifying energy resources to ensure sustainability,and contributing to economic growth while fully meeting its responsibilities after the Fukushima Daiichi accident.
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